5of 47McDonald's in Paradise, Calif., as the Camp Fire devours the town, 15 miles east of Chico. The top photo shows the fast-food restaurant before it was engulfed in flames.Photo: Oakland Fire Department

6of 47BEFORE: Honey Run Covered Bridge, Chico
The Honey Run Covered Bridge was the only triple-span covered bridge in the U.S. Read our story here. Photo: jgreesonarts/Getty Images/iStockphoto

7of 47AFTER: Honey Run Covered Bridge, Chico

The historic Honey Run Covered Bridge connecting Chico and Paradise was destroyed in the Camp Fire.Photo: Kurtis Alexander/Chronicle

8of 47BEFORE: Edgewood Estates
The senior community mobile home park as seen in May 2012, located at 5427 Edgewood Lane, Paradise, Calif.Photo: Google Maps

10of 47BEFORE: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Paradise
Located at 1275 Bille Rd.Photo: Google Maps

11of 47AFTER: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Paradise
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints burns during Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif. on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018.Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

12of 47BEFORE:
The Paradise Gardens
The senior living community as seen in July 2012. Located at 1040 Buschmann Rd., directly across the street from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Photo: Google

17of 47AFTER: Treasures from Paradise, ParadiseA destroyed antique shop is seen off of Skyway after the Camp Fire tore through the town of Paradise, Calif. on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018.Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle

18of 47BEFORE: ARCO, Paradise
A view of an ARCO Gas station located at 7575 Skyway, Paradise, Calif.Photo: Google Maps

19of 47AFER: ARCO, Paradise
Rocklin police officer Randy Law tends to a horse that was found wandering after the Camp Fire moved through the area on Nov. 9, 2018 in Paradise, Calif.Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

20of 47BEFORE: Blackbear Diner, Paradise
A local place for American comfort food.

44of 47BEFORE: Feather River Hospital, Paradise
The Adventist Health Feather River hospital is a 101-bed acute care hospital with an array of outpatient departments and services. The hospital still stands but sustained significant damages. Photo: Google Maps

WASHINGTON — President Trump, who toured Southern states after deadly hurricanes in recent months, has not scheduled a visit to California as the state battles deadly fires. But he did issue a declaration late Monday clearing the way for federal aid to flow to fire victims.

The White House announced that Trump had approved a declaration of a major disaster for Butte County, devastated by the Camp Fire, and for Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The declaration makes fire victims eligible for grants for home repairs and temporary housing, and for low-cost loans to pay for property losses that insurance doesn’t cover. It also clears the way for state and local governments to get federal emergency assistance.

I just approved an expedited request for a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of California. Wanted to respond quickly in order to alleviate some of the incredible suffering going on. I am with you all the way. God Bless all of the victims and families affected.

The White House did not respond to a question about whether Trump would come to California as the state endured a fifth day of wildfires, other than saying it had no “scheduling announcements” to make.

A spokesman for Gov. Jerry Brown labeled the tweet “inane,” and the head of the state’s largest firefighters association called it “an uninformed political threat aimed squarely at the innocent victims of these cataclysmic fires.”

The federal government owns 57 percent of forestland in California, while the state and local agencies own just 3 percent. Experts also pointed out that forest management is just one of many factors that can play a role in disastrous wildfires.

There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!

Trump has visited California once as president, in March, to view prototypes of his still-unfunded border wall. He did not come to the state after the 2017 North Bay fires killed 41 people.

The president has been quick to visit the locations of other disasters and tragedies. Last month, he went to Pittsburgh to pay his respects to victims of an anti-Semitic shooting at a synagogue, and he traveled to Florida and Georgia after they were hard hit by Hurricane Michael.

In September, Trump visited the Carolinas in the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Florence. He also visited Puerto Rico, Florida, Louisiana and Texas after deadly hurricanes last year.

Tal Kopan is the Washington Correspondent for The San Francisco Chronicle. Previously, she was a political reporter for CNN Politics, where she covered immigration, cybersecurity and other hot-button issues in Washington, including the 2016 presidential election.

Prior to joining the network, Kopan was a reporter for POLITICO in Washington, D.C., where she reported for their breaking news team and policy verticals. While covering policy, she was a reporter for POLITICO Pro Cybersecurity, where she covered cybersecurity policymaking on Capitol Hill and followed cyber-related issues in the Justice Department such as cybercrime.

Kopan also previously worked as a Web producer at Fox Chicago News and as a freelance Web producer at ABC 7 Chicago, where she spent time covering stories such as the trials of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the election of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Kopan was selected as a 2014-2015 National Press Foundation Paul Miller Fellow and a member of the 2015 class of Journalist Law School at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. She was also the recipient of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Midwest Chapter's Ephraim Family Scholarship.

Kopan graduated with honors from the University of Chicago with a bachelor's in law, letters and society.